Read and Dream: My Book Life

December Classics Pt. 1: Plays

Hey everyone! I hope you had a great Christmas :) Starting in November 2016, I decided to categorize my reading of classic literature into themes per month. November was war novels, and December is plays! So here are some mini reviews of three plays I've read this month- more will be on the way! (Don't worry, none of them are like Othello/Oedipus Classic-y, more modern classics!)

Title: Please Look After Mom
Author: Kyung-Sook Shin
Genre: Contemporary

Blurb: A million-plus-copy best seller in Korea — a magnificent English-language debut poised to become an international sensation — this is the stunning, deeply moving story of a family’s search for their mother, who goes missing one afternoon amid the crowds of the Seoul Station subway.

Told through the piercing voices and urgent perspectives of a daughter, son, husband, and mother, Please Look After Mom is at once an authentic picture of contemporary life in Korea and a universal story of family love.

You will never think of your mother the same way again after you read this book.

Me: An interesting read, because I am South Korean myself. It created a much more personal connection with the text.

Title: Homegoing
Author: Yaa Gyasi
Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb: The unforgettable New York Times best seller begins with the story of two half-sisters, separated by forces beyond their control: one sold into slavery, the other married to a British slaver. Written with tremendous sweep and power, Homegoing traces the generations of family who follow, as their destinies lead them through two continents and three hundred years of history, each life indeliably drawn, as the legacy of slavery is fully revealed in light of the present day.

Me: This book had 84 holds on it at my public library. Now I understand why.

So I've been pretty inactive recently, and I apologize :( School really is a burden, and I have such respect for bloggers who somehow manage to do both at the same time. The good news is, I have been reading A TON lately.

So to give you short snippets of my thoughts on these three INCREDIBLE novels, I have started this Mini Reviews series to make sure I get straight to the point.

Hi everyone! I'm honored to bring author Andrew Joyce onto the blog to talk about his newest book, Yellow Hair. I was intrigued by its premise of the Sioux Nation and Wounded Knee, all topics that I feel like there isn't enough popular literature about. I truly believe taking the time to explore these untold stories is incredibly rewarding, and I hope you enjoy our brief conversation!

Title: Catch-22
Author: Joseph Heller
Genre: Classics

Blurb: Fifty years after its original publication, Catch-22 remains a cornerstone of American literature and one of the funniest—and most celebrated—novels of all time. Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved.

Me:

" There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to."

This was a wild, wild ride. Filled with humor, quirky characters, and bitter satire- captures how ridiculous and absurd war is. It's certainly dense, and a little difficult to get into, but it's definitely worth it.

Let me share some quotes with you that capture the essence of this novel better than I ever could.

Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Author: Jack Thorne (+ J.K. Rowling)
Publisher: Little, Brown
Genre: Play, HARRY POTTER (it's its own genre)

Blurb: It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

Me: First of all, can I say: HELLOOO!! I've missed being on here! I'm overwhelmed and school is wild, but I do think I need to come back to one of the places I love the most- blogging! And what better book to kick off my return with than the last Harry Potter?

I have to say, I never thought this day would come. I started blogging in 2014, and I never imagined people would want to read Harry Potter reviews more than a decade after the books came out. But I get my chance! It's here, I've read it, you should too...CURSED CHILD!